1969 MGB GT

A Quintessentially British Classic Car

I’m sure a lot of you would agree that the terms “classic” and “vintage” have become more used and abused than the 3 tatty pairs of holey Calvins at the back of your drawers.

You already know what to expect when shopping for vintage clothes now. Shapeless 3XL Adidas Track Jackets seemingly made from tent innards; Carhartt workwear that has been worked within an inch of its life and has 8 different variants of stains on the crotch alone; and worst of all, endless rails of sports jerseys that smell like the bibs schools would hand out in PE.

There are tell-tell signs to save yourself the round trip in and out the door and they start with any window front donning a large cracked “VINTAGE” sign. Just go to the charity shop.

The same cannot be said for the MGB GT - a work of enduring quality, cheeky charm an air of sophistication that has aged incredibly well. This gorgeous creation is 55 years old, that is older than Paris Saint-Germain football club. It’s somehow so of its time and yet even today was the most perfectly put-together car I saw on the road.

This comes from having an identity - a personality - that cars these days just don’t possess. The sleek curved angles and grooves that all point towards that grinning grille. Chrome just looked better back then. It was classy, as opposed to mirroring the interior of a Creams dessert parlour. The headlamps that are cut into the body look like they actually own their place, as opposed to stickers renting some space on the bonnet as they do these days. The spoke alloys require no superlatives.

This unequivocally epitomises the quintessential brilliance of a true British classic.